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Sunil J. Wimalawansa

Sunil J. Wimalawansa
Academic and Clinical Professor of Medicine Endocrinology & Nutrition · Medicine

MD, PhD, MBA, FACP, FACE, FCCP FRCP FRCPath, DSc
COVID-19 prevention; RCTs; Strategies & Health Policies; Endocrinology & Nutrition; CKDu prevention; Process Consultancy

About

385
Publications
228,137
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Introduction
Prof. Medicine, Endocrinology & Nutrition: University Professor and former Chief of Endocrinology, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey (now, Rutgers University). Expert in osteoporosis, metabolic bone disease, diabetes, vitamin D & nutrition. Distinctions: educator, author, researcher, speaker, innovator, board member, administrator & compassionate philanthropist. Diploma in med. administrtion, Johns Hopkins Uni. Business Sch. (2000) & Executive MBA (2006) from Rutgers University, Sch. of Business. Published 250+ scientific articles, 9 books; 500+ presentations. Awarded, Oscar Gluck International Humanitarian award (2001) & Lifetime Achievement award (2005)...
Additional affiliations
February 1982 - August 2013
University of London
Position
  • Professor (Associate)
August 2001 - August 2013
University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey (New Brusnwick); Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Position
  • Tenured Full Professor and Chief of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Nutrition
April 1994 - August 2001
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Position
  • Tenured full Professor and head, Biochemical endocrinology unit & Osteoporosis center

Publications

Publications (385)
Article
Objectives This systematic review (SR) highlights principles for nutrient clinical trials and explore the diverse physiological functions of vitamin D beyond its traditional role in the musculoskeletal system related to clinical study designs. Background Thousands of published research articles have investigated the benefits of vitamin D (a nutrie...
Article
Full-text available
Clinical trials consistently demonstrate an inverse correlation between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D; calcifediol] levels and the risk of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 disease, complications, and mortality. This systematic review (SR), guided by Bradford Hill’s causality criteria, analyzed 294 peer-reviewed manuscripts published between December 201...
Article
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Minerals are essential nutrients that play critical roles in human health by regulating various physiological functions. Examples include bone development, enzyme function, nerve signaling, and the immune response. Both the deficiencies and toxicities of minerals can have significant health implications. Deficiencies in macrominerals such as calciu...
Article
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Human skin is a physical and biochemical barrier that protects the internal body from the external environment. Throughout a person’s life, the skin undergoes both intrinsic and extrinsic aging, leading to microscopic and macroscopic changes in its morphology. In addition, the repair processes slow with aging, making the older population more susce...
Article
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Vitamin D offers numerous under-recognized health benefits beyond its well-known role in musculoskeletal health. It is vital for extra-renal tissues, prenatal health, brain function, immunity, pregnancy, cancer prevention, and cardiovascular health. Existing guidelines issued by governmental and health organizations are bone-centric and largely ove...
Article
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Background/Objectives: Vitamin D is essential for bone health, immune function, and overall well-being. Numerous ecological, observational, and prospective studies, including randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs), report an inverse association between higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D; calcifediol] levels in various conditions, inclu...
Article
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The interaction of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with membrane-bound angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptors in epithelial cells facilitates viral entry into human cells. Despite this, ACE-2 exerts significant protective effects against coronaviruses by neutralizing viruses in circulation and mitigating inflammation. While SARS-CoV-2 reduc...
Article
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The original COVID-19 vaccines, developed against SARS-CoV-2, initially mitigated hospitalizations. Bivalent vaccine boosters were used widely during 2022-23, but the outbreaks persisted. Despite this, hospitalizations, mortality, and outbreaks involving dominant mutants like Alpha and Delta increased during winters when the population's vitamin D...
Article
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Vitamin D is a crucial micronutrient, critical to human health, and influences many physiological processes. Oral and skin-derived vitamin D is hydroxylated to form calcifediol (25(OH)D) in the liver, then to 1,25(OH)2D (calcitriol) in the kidney. Alongside the parathyroid hormone, calcitriol regulates neuro-musculoskeletal activities by tightly co...
Article
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Introduction and aim: SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks occur cyclically, aligning with winter when vitamin D levels are lowest, except after new variant outbreaks. Adequate vitamin D is crucial for robust immune function. Hypovitaminosis diminishes immune responses, increasing susceptibility to viral infections. The manuscript explores the discrepancy between...
Article
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There is convincing evidence that the combined effect of multiple factors in well-water (such as water hardness—elevated Ca2+ and fluoride levels, among others), including natural geochemical contamination of groundwater (not agrochemicals or heavy metals) in conjunction with harmful behavior, closely linked with CKDu than glyphosate or heavy metal...
Article
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This manuscript explores the rapid realization of benefits through integrating vitamin D big data into artificial intelligence/machine learning, offering a paradigm for expedited medical decision-making and policy formulation. Leveraging advanced deep learning techniques, we propose synthesizing extensive data sets, enabling the approval of repurpo...
Article
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Purpose: While numerous widely accepted nutraceuticals lack randomized clinical trial (RCT) validation, regulatory bodies prioritize RCTs as the primary evidence for testing hypotheses for drug approvals. Despite challenges in authorizing generic therapies for SARS-CoV-2, regulatory bodies promptly granted Emergency Use Authorization for patented a...
Article
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Empirical evidence establishes the connection between exposure and clinical outcomes. Clinical studies show that chronic diseases and infections can be prevented by proactively correcting vitamin D deficiency in individuals who are vitamin D deficient and in the community. In RCTs, with proper daily or once-a-week vitamin D supplementation in the i...
Article
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Vitamin D deficiency treatment costs less than 0.01% of a one-day hospitalization. Despite cost-benefits, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency remains high worldwide. This was vivid among those who died from COVID-19—most had vitamin D deficiency. Yet, the lack of direction to use vitamin D as an adjunct therapy from health agencies was astonishi...
Article
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Musculoskeletal benefits of vitamin D include calcium homeostasis, bone mineralization, etc., through its hormonal actions. This requires serum 25(OH)D less than 20 ng/mL. In contrast, many other tissues require above 30 or 40 ng/mL steady-state concentrations. To reduce infections, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and all-cause mortality require a min...
Article
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Globally, vitamin D deficiency is a significant public health problem—a pandemic—that has overtaken iron deficiency as the most common nutritional deficiency in the world. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with many chronic diseases and increases the risk of acute and worsened chronic infections. Both vitamin D and [25(OH]D: calcifediol) and its a...
Article
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Both 25-autoimmunity and(25(OH)D: calcifediol) and its active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH) 2 D: calcitriol), play critical roles in protecting humans from invasive pathogens, reducing risks of autoimmunity, and maintaining health. Conversely, low 25(OH)D status increases susceptibility to infections and developing autoimmunity. This syst...
Article
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Apart from developmental disabilities, the prevalence of chronic diseases increases with age especially in those with co-morbidities: vitamin D deficiency plays a major role in it. Whether vitamin D deficiency initiates and/or aggravates chronic diseases or vice versa is unclear. It adversely affects all body systems but can be eliminated using pro...
Presentation
Full-text available
Preventing Future Viral Epidemics and Pandemics, Proactively https://encyclopedia.pub/video/video_detail/928 A Video presentation: “Using micronutrient sufficiency to maintain a robust immune system.” The video summarizes how to proactively prevent current outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2, snags of using COVID-19 vaccines, and future viral epidemics and pa...
Article
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In tropical countries, a mysterious tubulo-interstitial chronic renal disease (CKD), unrelated to diabetes, hypertension, and immunological causes, manifested four decades ago. Approximately 25,000 primarily middle-aged male farmers succumb annually to this crystal-tubular nephropathy (CTN). Without any known causative factors, it was identified as...
Article
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The prevalence of chronic diseases increases with age, especially in those with co-morbidities. The two most common denominators are the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and concentrations of angiotensin-converting enzyme receptor-2 (ACE2). Whether vitamin deficiency initiates or aggravates chronic diseases is unclear. Hypovitaminosis D nega...
Article
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Vitamin D is essential for life—its sufficiency improves metabolism, hormonal release, immune functions, and maintaining health. Vitamin D deficiency increases the vulnerability and severity of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, obesity, and infections. The active enzyme that generates vitamin D [calcitriol: 1,25(OH)2D], CYP27B1 (1a-hydox...
Article
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The robust activity of the human immune system depends on adequate concentrations of D3 and 25(OH) D-substrates for generating calcitriol within immune cells. This is crucial for maintaining a robust immune system, overcoming infections, and preventing hyper-immune syndromes and autoimmunity. As described in this paper, the most cost-efficient way...
Article
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Correction of significant errors—"Assessment and management of vitamin D inadequacy: Suggestions, recommendations, and warnings,” published by the Italian Society for Osteoporosis, Mineral Metabolism and Bone Diseases (SIOMMMS recomendations). Mineral Metabolism and Bone Diseases (SIOMMMS). Nutrients 2022, 14, 4148
Article
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The elderly and those with underlying chronic diseases (i.e., comorbidities) such as pulmonary, cardiovascular, metabolic, and renal diseases, increase their susceptibility to sepsis, including COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 virus damages pulmonary cells, causing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and hypoxia. It further damages endothelial cells...
Presentation
https://youtu.be/fTNBWwGz5vk Staying Healthy: Prevention of fractures—Oct. 2022— Prof Sunil Wimalawansa Taking care of bones early is essential for preventing osteoporosis and fractures in later life. Increased bone loss via estrogen deficiency (i.e., oophorectomy, postmenopausal) or due to secondary causes (glucocorticoids and other medications...
Preprint
Full-text available
With the advent of COVID19, the attitude of health authorities around the world, led mainly by the West, demanded a level of proof as evidence for cheap, non-patented remedies while promoting expensive, patented, and untested remedies by using emergency use authorization and special provisions afforded to the status of a pandemic emergency. Western...
Presentation
https://youtu.be/EGZ6Dvm_Fsk Approximately 75% of the immune system regulation occurs via vitamin D. It also requires magnesium, selenium, zinc, etc., and several other micronutrients, and physical and mental well-being. It is necessary to maintain serum 25(OH)D concentrations above 50 ng/mL (125 nmol/L) to have a robust immune system to control...
Preprint
Full-text available
In tropical countries, a mysterious tubulointerstitial chronic renal disease (CKD), unrelated to diabetes, hypertension, and immunological causes, manifested over the past four decades. Approximately 25,000 primarily middle-aged male farmers succumb annually to this crystal-tubular nephropathy (CTN). Its cause is hypothesised to arise from agrochem...
Article
Full-text available
Vitamin D deficiency is a global public health problem, a pandemic that commonly affects the elderly and those with comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, respiratory disorders, recurrent infections, immune deficiency, and malignancies, as well as ethnic minorities living in temperate countries. The same groups were worst affected b...
Article
Full-text available
The chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) is confined to specific geographic areas of Sri Lanka. CKDu is a deadly disease that primarily affects farming communities, mainly male farmers. Due to the precise geolocation and geologically confined spread of this disease, continuing the CKDU research investigations, we investigated the geoc...
Article
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Vitamin D is a micronutrient that is metabolised into a multifunctional secosteroid compound, calcitriol [1,25(OH)2D], essential for the health and survival of humans. Both 25 dihydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)2D: calcifediol] and its hormonal form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D: calcitriol] are essential for human physiological functions, including...
Article
Full-text available
Importance More than forty million people from certain tropical countries are at risk of developing a non-conventional form of chronic kidney disease (CKD), CKD of multifactorial etiology (CKDmfo). This is also known as CKD of unknown etiology (CKDu). Worldwide, it kills more than 20,000 people annually. Findings CKDmfo is a chronic tubulointersti...
Article
Full-text available
The health effects of vitamin D supplementation [by Bouillon, R. et al. Nat Rev. Endocrinol.: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-022-00647-w (2022)] reported that vitamin D supplementation of vitamin D-replete adults (with baseline serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) >50 nmol/L) does not reduce cancer, cardiovascular events, falls, or p...
Article
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A bolus dose is a single dose of a substance given over a short period, also called a loading dose. However, in the review, the term “bolus” dose refers to the nutrient cholecalciferol, a vitamin D3 supplement as a longer-term micronutrient, in larger quantities than accepted daily doses with intervals of over a month duration between intakes. Seco...
Article
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Rice is the staple food of most Asians, including Sri Lankans. It is cultivated extensively in the dry zonal regions in Sri Lanka such as the Polonnaruwa district, where the prevalence of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) is higher. We investigated the concentrations of potentially toxic heavy metal(loid)s in groundwater and locally...
Conference Paper
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The severity and deaths from COVID-19 differed between countries. Northern and southern countries were most affected by the first and the second wave of COVID-19. In contrast, the third wave affects geographically restricted regions: certain south-east Asian countries, Brazil, etc. China, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, and Hong Kong, countries th...
Article
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Vitamin D, ivermectin, and hydroxychloroquine are not only cost-effective therapies but also easy to transport, store, administer: thus, economical to use. Moreover, three agents are well-tested over a few decades and have acceptable adverse effects. These agents are effective against COVID-19, approved by most regulators for different diseases, and...
Article
Full-text available
Globally, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is high, and the incidence is rising. This common micronutrient disorder is easily reversible; so, as the associated morbidity and mortality among affected people. The incidences of vitamin D deficiency continue to increase and have become a pandemic, mostly because of insufficient exposure to sunlig...
Article
The first incidence of COVID-19 was reported in the Wuhan city of Hubei province in China in late December 2019. Because of failure in timely closing of borders of the affected region, COVID-19 spread across like a wildfire through air travel initiating a pandemic. It is a serious lower respiratory track viral infection caused by highly contagious,...
Article
Full-text available
Although COVID-19 can infect humans, individuals with vitamin D deficiency and consequently having a weaker innate immune system are at the most risk of developing complications and death. In more than 80% of infected people, the disease is asymptomatic or mild, but in those with severe vitamin D deficiency, COVID-19 can be detrimental. Less than 1...
Article
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The elderly and those with underlying chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, metabolic, and renal diseases are at a higher risk for experiencing COVID-19 infection and more prone to serious clinical complications, such as cytokine storm and acute respiratory distress syndrome leading to death. In addition to pulmonary cells, COVID-19 also impairs endot...
Article
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The only cost-effective medical/nutritional intervention that reduces COVID-19 infection and its complications and deaths is vitamin D. Those who are at high risk, following exposure to a person with COVID-19 or a person with symptoms of COVID-19 infection likely to benefit from an upfront loading oral dose, such as between 100,000 and 400,000 IU a...
Article
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The first wave of COVID-19 spread across the globe, rapidly during the first half of the year 2020 [1]. Since August 2020, the second wave of COVID-19 has been rampaging across most countries. A third wave may likely occur during the late spring of 2021. These in part coincide with the annual winter flu season in countries located in northern and l...
Article
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Humans are constantly invaded by environmental microbes. The body is protected from pathogen attacks by the immune defense system. In 99.8% of the time, our innate immune system is capable of getting rid of these organisms without before these can cause harm. Those who are with weaker immune systems constantly get infections and having chronic dise...
Article
Full-text available
In addition to being involved in the regulation of calcium and phosphate metabolism and the musculoskeletal functions, vitamin D has immune-modulatory effects through several independent pathways. Its active hormone, calcitriol [1,25(OH)2D] effect both innate and adaptive immune systems essential for optimal immune functions. Vitamin D deficiency e...
Article
Full-text available
COVID-19 spread across the world, like a wildfire during the first half of the year 2020. It coincided with the flu season in countries located in northern and southern latitudes, during their respective winter periods. Whereas in the middle east, during its summertime people develop hypovitaminosis D, when people completely avoid the sun due to ex...
Article
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Coronavirus belongs to a large family of viruses that usually affecting wild animals. COVID-19 is the latest virus from that family transmitted to humans in late 2019 but the origin is not confirmed. It causes predominantly lower respiratory tract syndrome but also affecting other epithelial cells and other systems such as the cardiovascular system...
Article
Full-text available
A chronic kidney disease of multifactorial origin (CKDmfo), also known as CKD of unknown origin, started to manifest during the past four decades in certain economically poor, peri-equatorial agricultural countries. CKDmfo is an environmentally induced, occupationally-mediated, chronic tubulointerstitial disease. Prolonged exposure to environmental...
Article
Full-text available
Chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu), which is widespread in the North Central Province (NCP) of Sri Lanka, is not associated with commonly known factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and glomerulonephritis. The pathogenicity of CKDu is not well understood, but people with a low body mass index (BMI) and mineral and nutrient deficie...
Article
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Advanced age, having comorbidities, and vitamin D deficiency are the three most important reasons for increased vulnerability to COVID-19 and also worsen complications and increase the risk of death. Despite the vast amount of information available and lessons learned, many countries are still not fully utilizing these to manage secondary peaks of...
Article
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The most recently identified coronavirus, COVID-19, is an upper respiratory track illness that rapidly spreads through the air via micro-droplets from individuals with infection, via gastrointestinal tract, and mucous membranes via contaminated fingers. The current COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented. Considering the pandemic nature of the spread of...
Article
Full-text available
The potent virus COVID-19 is a lower respiratory tract infection that spreads from person to person, predominantly via aerosolized micro-droplets. The virus also transfers to humans via mucous membranes that come in contact with fingers/hands contaminated with COVID-19 and through self-infection and the gastrointestinal tract. Because the data used...
Article
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Micronutrient deficiencies, especially hypovitaminosis D, markedly increases vulnerability to multiple disorders, including non-communicable diseases, such as skeletal and extra-skeletal diseases, as well as communicable diseases. Therefore, in the current COVID-19 crisis, it is of utmost importance to enhance and maintain immunity at the highest p...
Article
Objective: The development of these guidelines is sponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) Board of Directors and American College of Endocrinology (ACE) Board of Trustees and adheres with published AACE protocols for the standardized production of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). Methods: Recommendations are ba...
Article
Objective The development of these guidelines is sponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) Board of Directors and American College of Endocrinology (ACE) Board of Trustees and adheres with published AACE protocols for the standardized production of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). Methods Recommendations are bas...
Article
Objective: The development of these guidelines is sponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) Board of Directors and American College of Endocrinology (ACE) Board of Trustees and adheres with published AACE protocols for the standardized production of clinical practice guidelines (CPG). Methods: Recommendations are bas...
Article
Full-text available
Chronic kidney disease of multifactorial origin (CKDmfo), also known as CKD of uncertain origin (CKDu), is a tubulointerstitial disease. CKDmfo is an environmentally induced, preventable occupational disease that predominantly affects male farmers in tropical countries. Several causative factors have been proposed, including agrochemicals, heavy me...
Article
Full-text available
Oxygen, water, and food are three essential components of human survival. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are the three major food components; preferably these should be eaten as natural components, unprocessed. Organic food while nutritionally similar to natural food, marketed at a higher price. Beyond that, there are several essential food subs...
Article
Full-text available
The 2019 coronavirus outbreak started in Hubei Province in China. Despite major travel restrictions, the virus spread across all China’s provinces. Based on the rapidity of the dispersion, coronavirus has become a severe public health concern in China and many other countries. Coronavirus belongs to a large family of viruses that usually affect wil...
Article
Full-text available
Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent worldwide and common in all age groups. The seriousness of this nutrient deficiency is grossly underestimated. It affects most ethnic groups and is a major global public health problem. In fact, vitamin D deficiency is now the commonest nutrient deficiency and is a pandemic, that threatens approximately half the wo...
Article
Full-text available
Vitamin D deficiency is common worldwide and more prevalent than most people know. It is estimated that globally more than 1.8 billion people have vitamin D deficiency and another 2.7 billion have vitamin D insufficiency, which makes this disorder one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in the world. It has not only turned into a pandemic b...
Article
Full-text available
A new form of chronic tubulointerstitial kidney disease (CKD) not related to diabetes or hypertension appeared during the past four decades in several peri-equatorial and predominantly agricultural countries. Commonalities include underground stagnation of drinking water with prolonged contact with rocks, harsh climatic conditions with protracted d...
Article
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During the past 15 years, the biological and scientific knowledge of the pleiotropic properties of vitamin D and its metabolites has expanded beyond the well-understood effects of vitamin D in calcium homeostasis and skeletal health. Many, recently published peer-reviewed articles clinical and epidemiological studies support multiple extra-skeletal...
Article
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Background: In the mid-1970s, an unusual chronic kidney disease of multifactorial origin (CKDmfo), also known as CKD of unknown aetiology (CKDu), began to manifest in several economically poor, tropical, agricultural countries. This preventable, environmentally induced, occupational disease affects several peri-equatorial countries; it first manife...
Article
Full-text available
Early diagnosis of sepsis is often difficult in clinical practice, whilst it can be vital for positive patient outcomes in sepsis management. Any delay in diagnosis and treatment may lead to significant organ failure and can be associated with elevated mortality rates. Early diagnosis and effective management of sepsis can allow for prompt antibiot...
Article
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Recent advances in vitamin D research indicate that this vitamin, a secosteroid hormone, has beneficial effects on several body systems other than the musculoskeletal system. Both 25 dihydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)2D] and its active hormonal form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] are essential for human physiological functions, including damping do...
Article
Full-text available
Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is common and threatens the woman and her developing fetus. As a pregnancy progresses, the requirements for vitamin D increase, thus, increasing the risk of hypovitaminosis D. Consequently, the majority of women become or remain vitamin D deficient and remain vitamin D deficient during pregnancy and the postnat...
Chapter
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Vitamin D affects all systems in the body. Both 25 dihydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)2D] and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D; calcitriol] are essential for human physiological functions, including damping down inflammation and the excessive intra-cellular oxidative stresses. Vitamin D is a potent anti-oxidant that improves mitochondrial activity, prev...
Article
Full-text available
Vitamin D is both a vitamin and a hormone. It has pleotropic actions that extend beyond calcium and phosphate homeostasis, regulation of parathyroid hormone, and the prevention of osteomalacia, rickets, falls, and fractures. Over 80% of vitamin D requirement is expected to generate in t he skin, following exposure to ultraviolet B sunlight; globall...
Article
Full-text available
Vitamin D is both a vitamin and a hormone. It has pleiotropic actions that extend beyond calcium and phosphate homeostasis, regulation of parathyroid hormone, and the prevention of osteomalacia, rickets, falls, and fractures. Over 80% of the vitamin D requirement is expected to be generated in the skin following exposure to ultraviolet B in sunligh...
Chapter
Full-text available
Nutritional deficiencies at any stages of growth affect physical, mental and behavioural development. This is particularly important for individuals with intellectual disability and their caregivers, who are constantly faced with multiple challenges. Providing a balanced diet that is adequate with macro- and micro-nutrients, vitamins and anti-oxida...
Article
This article has been withdrawn at the request of the author(s) and/or editor. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal
Article
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Conclusion: None of the hypotheses and conjectures proposed to-date, as causative factors for CKDu in Sri Lanka or elsewhere have been properly, scientifically tested. There are some differences in the potential causative agents and manifestation of CKDu in different countries. Thus, rather than going in tangents, it is time that each CKDu- affecte...
Article
Full-text available
Data regarding the prevalence and predictors of vitamin D deficiency during early pregnancy are limited. This study aims to fill this gap. A total of 578 Saudi women in their 1st trimester of pregnancy were recruited between January 2014 and December 2015 from three tertiary care antenatal clinics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Information collected incl...
Article
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Human diseases due to water contamination occur mostly through agrochemicals, manufacturing processes, industry pollutants, geogenic natural elements, livestock and sewerage, anthropogenic contaminat-ion, and natural disasters. This review focuses on waterborne diseases, using chronic kidney disease of multifactorial origin (CKDmfo) as an example....
Article
Study design: A 6-month multi-center, controlled, clinical study, involving 34 schools in the central region of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Different strategies of vitamin D supplementation were tested (200 ml fortified milk of different brands or vitamin D tablet (1,000IU). Anthropometrics were taken and fasting blood samples withdrawn at baseline and...
Article
Full-text available
Human diseases due to water contamination occur mostly through agrochemicals, manufacturing processes, industry pollutants, geogenic natural elements, livestock and sewerage, anthropogenic contamination, and natural disasters. This review focuses on waterborne diseases, using chronic kidney disease of multifactorial origin (CKDmfo) as an example. T...
Chapter
Full-text available
Calcitonin (CT) A 32-amino acid-polypeptide hormone produced in C cells of the thyroid gland. It is a potent inhibitor of osteoclastic bone resorption. It plays an important role in maintaining calcium homeostasis during the periods of calcium stress. Worldwide, synthetic forms of CTs, such as human, eel, and salmon, are used in the treatment of se...
Article
The incidence and the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency are increasing worldwide. It is estimated that over 50% of population in the world have low in vitamin D (i.e., hypovitaminosis D; levels below 30 ng/mL). 80% of our vitamin D requirement comes from the ultraviolet rays from sunlight, and for the remainder, we rely from the diet and supplemen...
Article
Pregnancy places exceptional demands on vitamin D and calcium availability; thus, their deficiencies during pregnancy threaten the woman and her fetus. Globally, vitamin D and other micronutrient deficiencies are common during pregnancy, especially in developing countries where pregnant women have less access to supplements. Vitamin D deficiency ha...
Article
Research carried out during the past two-decades extended the understanding of actions of vitamin D, from regulating calcium and phosphate absorption and bone metabolism to many pleiotropic actions in organs and tissues in the body. Most observational and ecological studies report association of higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrat...
Article
Vitamin D deficiency is a clinical problem and recently we have shown that 82.5% of our entire study cohort had inadequate serum 25(OH)D levels. In this study, we analysed serum 25(OH)D levels of juvenile patients admitted to the Burjeel Hospital of VPS Health care in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from October 2012 to September 2014. Out of...
Article
Full-text available
Chronic Kidney Disease of Uncertain Aetiology seems to be caused by several factors and hence it could be best described as Chronic Kidney Disease of Multifunctional origin (CKDmfo). CKDmfo is confined to a particular geographical location of Sri Lanka, viz., the North-Central Province and some nearby Areas where vulnerable people are mostly rice p...
Article
Vitamin D regulates blood pressure, cardiac functions, and endothelial and smooth muscle cell functions, thus playing an important role in cardiovascular health. Observational studies report associations between vitamin D deficiency and hypertension and cardiovascular-related deaths. Peer-reviewed papers in several research databases were examined,...
Article
In the UAE and the Gulf region in general, there are several intricate public health issues in the context of vitamin D deficiency that needs to be addressed. Changes in lifestyle such as diet, lack of exercise, cultural habits, avoiding sun exposure due to excessive heat, and other risk factors predispose those who live in GULF countries, such as...

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